Standing in the Rain?

 

Call me silly, maybe even childish, but there is a simple pleasure in which I delight; standing in the rain! Think summer day with gentle rain falling. Every now and then I just stand in the rain, letting it wet my face, feeling alive.  My adult side reminds me that my clothing is getting wet, that I’ll have to change when I get in the house; and yet, there I stand. Those rains refresh the earth, making the grass grow.  I enjoy the fury of a Summer thunderstorm, too; drenching the ground with a downpour, but I’m wise enough not to stand out in those storms.  Those arid deserts of the West are beautiful in their own way, but I much prefer the woodlands and the green beauty where I live!  As Spring arrives so will the rain and life will thrive.

Are you standing where the rains of Heaven can water your soul?

The Psalmist exults in His provision. "You sent abundant rain, O God, to refresh the weary land. There your people finally settled, and with a bountiful harvest, O God, you provided for your needy people." (Psalm 68:9-10, NLT)  Rain, in those arid regions where the Scripture was written, was a symbol of blessings. When rain came, the crops grew and the people were fed. If rain did not fall, famine followed.  Joel urged the people to "Rejoice in the Lord your God! For the rain he sends demonstrates his faithfulness. Once more the autumn rains will come, as well as the rains of spring. The threshing floors will again be piled high with grain, and the presses will overflow with new wine and olive oil." (Joel 2:23-24, NLT)

I am praying for rain; not the actual rains of Springtime, but the rain of the Spirit. God’s people need a renewal. When His gentle Spirit moves, will you stand in the rain, friend?  In all of the difficulties with which we deal, day in and day out, our souls can get dry, the fruit of the Spirit withered. Sighing overtakes laughter.  Enthusiasm for worship and service are lost to dutiful performance.  So, Lord, let it rain!  Give us childlike hearts so we will not run to hide, but turn our faces upwards and let the rain wash over us, making us alive again.

Isaiah spoke sharply to the sins of God’s people. He did not overlook their refusal to obey the Lord, but he also knew that the Father delights in blessing His people. The last chapters of his prophecies turn from the gloom of judgment to the promise of all things made new.  Read an excerpt in this word from the Word. Feel the warm rain of the Spirit bringing promise to your heart, your soul, your mind.   
"Jerusalem, stand up! Shine! Your new day is dawning. The glory of the Lord shines brightly on you. The earth and its people are covered with darkness, but the glory of the Lord is shining upon you.  … Open your eyes! Look around! Crowds are coming. Your sons are on their way from distant lands; your daughters are being carried like little children. When you see this, your faces will glow; your hearts will pound and swell with pride. Treasures from across the sea and the wealth of nations will be brought to you.  … You were hated and deserted, rejected by everyone. But I will make you beautiful, a city to be proud of for all time to come. … Your sun will never set or your moon go down. I, the Lord, will be your everlasting light, and your days of sorrow will come to an end." (Isaiah 60:1-2, 4-5, 15, 20, CEV)

Are you ready for the rain?  Are you praying for revival? Are you looking for the Promises?
He is a Father who delights in restoration and renewal for His people. So, Lord, let it rain.

________________________

Let It Rain

We feel the rain of Your love

We feel the wind of Your Spirit

And now the heartbeat of Heaven let us hear

We feel the rain of Your love

We feel the wind of Your Spirit

And now the heartbeat of Heaven let us hear

Let it rain let it rain

Would You open the floodgates of Heaven

Let it rain let it rain

Would You open the floodgates of Heaven (Lord)

Let it rain let it rain

Open the floodgates of Heaven

Let it rain let it rain

Open the floodgates of Heaven

Let it rain let it rain

Open the floodgates of Heaven

Let it rain

Lord let it rain Lord let it rain

Over us over us

Lord let it rain we're asking Lord

To let it rain let it rain

Would You open the floodgates of Heaven

Lord let it rain let it rain

Would You open the floodgates of Heaven

Let it rain

Michael Farren

© 2001 This Is Your Time Music (Admin. by The Loving Company) (Admin. by The Loving Company)

CCLI License # 810055

A swirl of emotions

Loss is a real thing to me in recent years.  My Dad and Mom died two years apart. Bev and I turned our lives upside down to care for my brothers, boys they had adopted, and that choice proved to be something less than a joyous experience, for the most part.  Then, of course, the biggest loss, her cancer journey and death just over a year ago.  I am a resilient person and, by God’s grace and with love of many dear friends,  I carried on with life thinking that I was dealing with it all, rebuilding life in a new way.  “He’s moved on,” some said.  Don’t fool yourself!  The wound is still there and it only takes a bump on the road to rip it open. That became so evident yesterday. My Irish Setter, Sam, who is almost 9, needed oral surgery so I dropped her at the vet’s in the morning, with the expectation that she would be coming home mid-afternoon. The procedure went well, he said, but give her a little extra time to recover from the anesthesia. 3 became 5, 5 became 6:30 and my emotions began to swirl – fear and anger and sorrow – in equal measures. With the tumult inside of me I realized anew just how fragile my heart remains. In the middle of it all, I fielded a couple of pastoral calls from people in pain, real and deep issues in their lives.

Not for a moment do I believe myself unique in all of this.  Pain is common. Disappointments are everywhere. All people endure seasons of intense suffering!

How can we cope with the inevitable losses that will come our way in this broken world?

First of all, we must anchor ourselves in the promise of God.

The prayer of the broken man written in the 73^rd Psalm is often on my lips. "When I was beleaguered and bitter, totally consumed by envy, I was totally ignorant, a dumb ox in your very presence. I’m still in your presence, but you’ve taken my hand. You wisely and tenderly lead me, and then you bless me. You’re all I want in heaven! You’re all I want on earth! When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, God is rock-firm and faithful. Look! Those who left you are falling apart! Deserters, they’ll never be heard from again. But I’m in the very presence of God— oh, how refreshing it is! I’ve made Lord God my home. God, I’m telling the world what you do!" (Psalm 73:20-28, The Message)  I love that passage for the brutal authenticity found there.  Who among us has not become a ‘dumb ox’ before God, emoting rage or bitterness as we are temporarily blinded by our tears? But He does not walk off in disgust. He tenderly loves us through our pain. And, when we settle and His Presence finds us, there is renewal of hope.

You are His beloved child. Why the pain? Why the disappointment?  We may never really know on this side of eternity, but He is unchanging, unfailing, and holds us secure in His grasp. Anchor to that, my friend!

We must stay self-aware and take charge of our hearts!

Yesterday in the tumble of emotions, I did some self-talk evaluating my situation, realizing that some of the things I felt were real in the moment, but not the truth of my life!  When the pressure comes, kneel!  Peter teaches us  that we should "humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are." (1 Peter 5:6-9, NLT)

We must learn to worship the One Who is greater and to give thanks.

The stories that the Bible records for us reveal that the men and women who stood tall were those who chose to worship in Spirit and truth. Job lost everything but his life. He raged against the unfairness of it all and asked God to show up and defend Himself! But, the Lord only revealed His majesty leaving Job’s questions shrouded in mystery. Job’s response? “I put my hand over my mouth.”  He chose humble worship. "Then Job replied to the Lord: “I know that you can do anything, and no one can stop you. You asked, ‘Who is this that questions my wisdom with such ignorance?’ It is I—and I was talking about things I knew nothing about, things far too wonderful for me. You said, ‘Listen and I will speak! I have some questions for you, and you must answer them.’ I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes. I take back everything I said, and I sit in dust and ashes to show my repentance.” (Job 42:1-6, NLT)

Finding yourself with tumbling, swirling emotions today? Are fear, anger, doubt, and/or confusion trying to take over your mind?

Anchor in His promise.

Get aware and take charge of your heart.

Humbly worship.

Here is a word from the Word.  "In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen." (1 Peter 5:10-11, NLT)

(And, this morning, Sam, the setter, is doing fine. She is a little grumpy but recovering well.)

_________

Good, Good Father

I've heard a thousand stories

Of what they think You’re like

But I've heard the tender whisper

Of love in the dead of night

You tell me that You’re pleased

And that I'm never alone

You're a Good Good Father

It's who You are

It's who You are

It's who You are

And I'm loved by You

It's who I am

It's who I am

It's who I am

I've seen many searching for answers

Far and wide

But I know we're all searching for answers

Only You provide

Because You know just what we need

Before we say a word

You are perfect in all of Your ways

You are perfect in all of Your ways

You are perfect in all of Your ways to us

Love so undeniable I can hardly speak

Peace so unexplainable I can hardly think

As You call me deeper still

As You call me deeper still

As You call me deeper still

Into love love love

Anthony Brown | Pat Barrett

© 2014 Capitol CMG Paragon (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Common Hymnal Publishing (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

Housefires Sounds (Admin. by Capitol CMG Publishing)

CCLI License # 810055

“You’re an idiot!” and other loving statements

I read yet another Facebook post with an alarming headline and asked, “Could it really true?” With some research I found that that the post, like so many these days, (from all parts of the political spectrum) chose to ignore the whole story and the context. As a result the report was alarming but untrue, more gossip than news, looking for to inflame emotion more than to inform.  I am refusing to play that game any longer. This has become an issue of Christian life for me.  We know how damaging a person can be who likes to ‘stir the pot’ in our workplace or family, don’t we? For reasons I find incomprehensible, some seem to enjoy keeping the drama going, telling half of the story so that people are divided and confused.  

It is a wrong that we need to work to make right!  The book of Wisdom says this: "It is to a man’s honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel." (Proverbs 20:3, NIV)  "Fire goes out without wood, and quarrels disappear when gossip stops. A quarrelsome person starts fights as easily as hot embers light charcoal or fire lights wood." (Proverbs 26:20-21, NLT)  Jesus taught us that when we create peace, we reveal the heart of our Father. There is a promise for those who build bridges instead of throwing bombs. "God blesses those who work for peace, for they will be called the children of God." (Matthew 5:9, NLT)

Repeatedly the Word urges followers of Christ to be people of self-control, who are temperate, who are sober-minded. That demands much of us – taking time to think – avoiding a reaction – listening even more than we speak. Easy? Not at all, especially about those things for which our convictions go deep. America needs a lot less incendiary opinions and a lot more thoughtful people who work to create cooperation. Like it or not, public policy that works never is a complete win for every side. Our nation works best when we are moderate, when we work toward goals even as we understand that many things take time, that problems created by decades of poor choices cannot be solved with some draconian law that rips up people’s lives. In our present time with so many challenges tearing us apart, when even national leaders appear to be intent on leveraging every issue for the gain of their party, we who are in Christ have an obligation to be truth-seekers.  I assure you that the truth is much more complex than most of our media reports indicate.

The same principle applies in our families, in our neighborhoods, and in our churches.  Are we saying things that divide, that tear people apart, or are we using word that encourage, that draw people towards goals that are bigger than their own self-interest? Do we love drama or feel the need to inflame emotions because we think it is the best way to provoke change?

Paul wrote practical words to a couple of people he loved who were tearing up a church. " Now I appeal to Euodia and Syntyche. Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement." (Philippians 4:2, NLT)   In his letter to the church in Ephesus, he spoke to similar problem. "As a prisoner of the Lord, I beg you to live in a way that is worthy of the people God has chosen to be his own. Always be humble and gentle. Patiently put up with each other and love each other. Try your best to let God’s Spirit keep your hearts united. Do this by living at peace. All of you are part of the same body. There is only one Spirit of God, just as you were given one hope when you were chosen to be God’s people." (Ephesians 4:1-4, CEV)  The Corinthian church was torn apart by factions each insisting that they had found the only way.  I can almost Paul weeping as he writes to them: “I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe’s household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, “I follow Paul”; another, “I follow Apollos”; another, “I follow Cephasa”; still another, “I follow Christ.”  Is Christ divided?”  (1 Corinthians 1:10-13)

I am guilty of allowing passionate conviction to obscure my love for others. God forgive me. And, if I have let my words be harsh, I ask your forgiveness. Let us, for the sake of Christ Jesus, commit ourselves to being those who seek peace. No, we do not have to do it at the expense of the truth and there will be times when conflict is sharp, but our aim is to bring light, to reason, to continue dialogue even with those who are opposed to us.

Here is a word from the Word. May the Spirit help us to understand. "Finally, all of you, live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble. Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. For, “Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:8-12, NIV)

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace:

where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive,

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Amen.

St. Francis of Assisi